Instead of Ren bringing the hot chocolate and sitting down normally —
Ren watches Hikaru for a while from behind the counter.
He's confused, a little annoyed, but something about the way Hikaru stares out the window, lost and drenched, keeps pulling his eyes back.
Ren's thoughts are like:
> Why does he look so sad? Why is he always alone?
And why the hell does it bother me?
He doesn't approach immediately. He makes the hot chocolate slowly, secretly watching Hikaru — the boy who seems almost invisible to everyone else.
But Hikaru, lost in his own little world, doesn't even notice.
He just hugs himself, shivering lightly, looking small and fragile under the heavy rain outside.
Ren starts feeling uneasy.
Maybe a little guilt? Maybe something softer he doesn't want to admit?
Maybe something about the way Hikaru had stared at him — like Ren was something precious — sticks in his chest.
Then, instead of simply calling out,
Ren walks over without a word, puts the hot chocolate down in front of Hikaru, and throws a towel over Hikaru's head roughly — like a clumsy act of kindness.
Ren says, a little too harshly (because he's awkward):
> "You're soaked, idiot. You'll catch a cold."
Hikaru, startled, peeks at him from under the towel — his cheeks a little pink — and smiles so softly that Ren's heart stumbles for a second.
Ren immediately looks away, annoyed with himself.
And that's when Hikaru whispers for the first time:
> "Thank you... Ren-senpai."
Ren freezes.
> He knows my name?
A tiny, tiny crack opens in Ren's cold heart
Ren dropped the towel a little too roughly onto Hikaru's lap and turned away quickly, feeling heat crawl up his neck.
He hated how awkward he felt. It was just a wet stray cat of a boy. That's all.
But Daiki had seen everything.
Leaning over the counter with the widest, most evil grin, Daiki called out just loud enough for Ren to hear:
> "Oohh, Ren, since when did you start picking up strays?"
"You're blushing, man! Don't tell me you're into the cute, helpless type now?"
Ren shot him a death glare, muttering,
> "Shut up, Daiki. Mind your own damn business."
But Daiki only laughed louder, clearly enjoying himself.
He crossed his arms dramatically and added,
> "You know... if you're not going to date him, maybe I will. He's adorable. Tiny waist, big eyes — totally my type."
Ren slammed a cup onto the counter harder than necessary.
The sound made Hikaru flinch slightly in his seat.
And then —
before Ren could tell Daiki to screw off —
Hikaru, still sitting quietly, looked up at them with the softest, most serious expression and said:
> "I don't want to date you, Daiki-san."
His voice was steady.
Not shy, not afraid. Just simple and true.
Both Ren and Daiki froze.
For a second, even the rain outside seemed to hold its breath.
Daiki whistled lowly, pretending to be hurt.
> "Ouch. Straight rejection. Guess I'm not cute enough for you, huh, little guy?"
Hikaru didn't answer him.
Instead, he turned his face slightly toward Ren, a tiny secret smile touching his lips —
like Ren was the only one he could see.
Ren stared back, heart stuttering inside his chest.
And for the first time, something invisible and powerful settled between them — something Daiki couldn't tease away.
The rain finally slowed to a soft drizzle.
Inside the café, Ren was busy cleaning up tables and serving customers.
He didn't pay much attention when Hikaru quietly gathered his bag, bowed slightly toward the counter, and slipped out into the street.
When Ren finally glanced toward the door, he caught a glimpse of Hikaru's small figure disappearing into the misty street, his umbrella wobbling slightly in the breeze.
Ren stared for a second, feeling a strange tightness in his chest — but shook it off quickly.
> Tch. Whatever. It's not like it matters.
---
That night, Hikaru lay in his small room, listening to the sound of the rain against his window.
He couldn't stop thinking about Ren —
his rough voice,
his warm hands,
the way he threw the towel onto his head, pretending not to care but somehow being gentle at the same time.
Hikaru smiled faintly to himself, hugging his pillow tighter.
It was foolish, he knew — but even a small kindness like that meant the world to him.
---
The next morning, the rain was gone.
The world was bright and clear, the streets still wet and shining under the early sun.
Ren walked into school half-asleep, hands in his pockets.
As he passed through the big entrance doors, he caught sight of someone ahead.
It was Hikaru.
Standing near the shoe lockers, brushing his damp hair back from his forehead, a small simple smile on his face.
Something about him looked different in the sunlight —
lighter, softer — almost like he was glowing from the inside.
Ren felt himself freeze mid-step.
For a second, it felt like Hikaru was the only color in a world washed pale by rain.
> ...What the hell.
Ren shook his head hard and walked faster, annoyed at himself.
But when he entered the classroom, he accidentally met Hikaru's gaze.
Hikaru's smile faltered, his eyes widening a little in panic, and he quickly looked down, pretending to read something in his bag.
Ren cursed under his breath and slumped into his seat, feeling awkward.
He wanted to glance back, to catch another glimpse — but his body refused to move.
His heart was beating too stupidly fast.
For the first time, the classroom felt too bright, too full of air he couldn't breathe properly.
After a few boring classes,
the morning finally slipped toward lunch break.
Hikaru sat quietly at his desk, unpacking a small homemade bento.
He glanced out the window — the sky was clear, and the garden outside the classroom looked peaceful.
Gathering his things, Hikaru left the noisy classroom and found a quiet spot in the school garden: under a shady tree, a little far from the others.
He sat down alone and began nibbling at his lunch, enjoying the breeze.
From the classroom window, Ren noticed him.
He didn't mean to —
his eyes just naturally drifted there.
Hikaru looked so peaceful, sitting there by himself, sun slipping across his hair.
Somehow...
it bothered Ren.
He couldn't explain why.
Maybe it was the way Hikaru smiled faintly at nothing, or how his small figure looked even smaller sitting under the huge sky.
Ren was still watching when someone else appeared.
Miyu Takashiro — his "sort-of" girlfriend — bounded into the garden, bright and loud as always.
Before Ren could react, she came up to him, laughing, and pulled him close by the arm.
Ren let her, out of habit more than anything else.
But as she tugged him closer, Ren's gaze accidentally locked with Hikaru's —
a clear line between them, even across the distance.
Hikaru's expression shattered.
The soft, hopeful light disappeared from his eyes, replaced by a look of disappointment so deep it felt like a punch.
Ren's heart jolted weirdly.
> Why... does he look like that?
Like I just stole something precious from him...?
Before Ren could make sense of it, Daiki, watching from the side, caught the entire scene.
Grinning, he moved quickly.
---
Meanwhile, Hikaru was about to stand up and leave, forcing a smile onto his face —
when Daiki suddenly plopped down next to him, grabbing his wrist lightly to stop him.
Daiki leaned in, flashing his usual teasing smile, and said:
> "Oi, don't look so down. I'm here now. Let's eat together."
Hikaru blinked at him, confused.
Daiki chuckled and added:
> "What? Are you already finished? Then let me treat you to something. As an apology for annoying you earlier."
Hikaru hesitated, biting his lip, but finally whispered:
> "I'm sorry for acting distant..."
Daiki laughed again, ruffling his hair shamelessly.
> "I'll forgive you — if you accept my offer."
Hikaru blushed lightly and nodded.
> "Okay... Daiki-san."
Daiki leaned in closer, voice dropping into a playful whisper:
> "You're free this weekend, right? Let's go have some fun. I'll be waiting for you."
The whole moment looked too intimate —
and all of it was visible from the classroom window, where Ren stood, frozen, watching.
Something twisted sharply inside his chest.
---
Later after class,
while Ren was packing his books, Daiki strolled over casually, hands in his pockets.
> "You're curious, aren't you?" he said with a smirk.
Ren shot him a glare.
> "Huh? About what?"
Daiki chuckled darkly.
> "About what I said to your little kitten."
Ren clicked his tongue.
> "You're so annoying, Daiki. Like hell I'd be curious about that boring kid."
Daiki leaned closer, whispering:
> "Boring, huh...? Then why were you staring the whole time?"
Ren shoved his books into his bag harder than necessary.
> "Tch. Mind your own damn business, senpai."
But no matter how much he denied it —
the small, painful flicker inside his chest refused to go away.
And for the first time,
Ren realized:
there was a part of him that desperately wanted to know what Hikaru had whispered to Daiki.